NHRC seeks report from Jharkhand in four weeks

New Delhi: Taking suo motu cognisance of reported large number of women dying during childbirth due to lack of medical assistance in Godda district of Jharkhand, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday directed the state government to submit a report within four weeks.

"The press report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of right to health of women in Jharkhand," said a senior NHRC official.

A media report has claimed that due to lack of medical assistance for women in advanced stages of pregnancy in Santhali villages in Godda, several pregnant women die every year. Most of the pregnant women in villages of the district have severe iron deficiency leading to problem in blood clotting and uterus contraction, which causes death, said the official.

According to the media report, most of the Santhali and Pahariya families in Jharkhand reportedly survive on rice and potatoes and the state government has stopped the distribution of Iron and Folic Acid supplement tablets, which plays a major role in overcoming iron deficiency, after the central government halted their supply.

"The report further stated that 46 per cent of all deliveries take place at sub-centres in villages, which also lack infrastructure, ambulances and staff, putting women at risk. The hospital at District Headquarter, with only 40 beds and two ambulances, caters to a population of 13 lakh people. It also neither has proper infrastructure to deal with the complicated cases nor any blood bank," said the official.